Best Laid Plans

We wanted to stay at three different places while visiting Puerto Rico.  On or near the west side, on the island of Vieques off the east side and Old San Juan.  I quickly got responses from Vieques and Old San Juan for the places we liked.  I sent a message to one near Isabela several days ago and received nothing in response!  I then went to another rental site and quickly found a house to rent and sent a quote request.  I received an email asking me to call the owner.  I called the owner, who asked me then to text him the info (which was already in the email to which he responded, mind you!).  He said he was in the car and would call me upon landing at his office.  I sent the text.  Hear the crickets chirping??  I also sent an email reply to the one he sent to me......still no response.

 

I was feeling a bit uneasy about all of the driving and nervous about making it from one side of the island to the other to arrive early enough to do all we need to do to catch the ferry to Vieques.  I believe the uneasy feeling I was getting was inner guidance about not being so busy and all over the place this particular trip.

 

So, we are now going directly to Vieques and staying 5 nites, where we will be within walking distance of the beach, where our "hosts" live on the property, have been very accommodating about discounts and payment and will be available for island advice, where we can relax and live in bathing suits and tank tops for 5 days straight and we won't have to pack up after 3 nites!!

 

We will then head back to the mainland for 2 nites in Old San Juan to experience the city and its amazing Spanish and Caribbean architecture.

 

Should we make a return trip, perhaps a long stay on the west side, the beaches of Rincon, will be the plan.  There are ruins, sort of in the middle of the mainland, and several rain forests/jungles that we will make part of our second visit, too.  Therefore, it makes much more sense to enjoy that whole side for one trip and off the east for this one!  If we were going to be there for two weeks, then I would do each side about 5 days, still finishing in Old San Juan.

 

AND....since we are staying on Vieques and they no longer offer a ferry between the two islands (a mere 8 miles apart!), we might just catch a day flight to Culebra and experience the famous Flamenco Beach!  When on the islands, one simply must island hop, right?  ;)

 

Another plus that I just learned from my friend, Mario, the island of Vieques is very LGBT-friendly (he is a gay man who loves to travel and saw a travel show on Vieques and has been wanting to visit with his adorable hubby, Billy, ever since)! 

 

I am feeling much better about the whole trip and, really, vacationing shouldn't make one anxious.

 

So, best laid plans and all ... the Universe was looking out for us by having communication failures with those other two rentals ... and that is that!